Can Afghan Army alone save Kabul from Afghan Taliban ?

[Zain Malik]

WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama approved broader role of US military to assist and accompany Afghan forces to counter Taliban insurgency.

US defence officials claimed that US troops will assist Afghan forces to perform more proactively on the battlefield and US air power will also provide close air support to Afghan troops.

Earlier, US military was providing defensive and offensive training to Afghan forces to take action against Taliban insurgents.

“The US forces will more proactively support Afghan conventional forces,” the official said.

The recent orders came at a time when Afghan Taliban are stepping up their attacks against the Afghanistan government and Afghan Army is finding it difficult to cap the Taliban insurgency.

Recently 13 retired United States Army Generals and Diplomats have written letter to US President Barack Obama indicating that reduction in the US Forces in Afghanistan by the end of the 2016 is going to be fatal for Afghanistan as Afghan Taliban have stepped up their campaign against the Afghanistan government and the Afghan National Security Forces ANSF are unable to coup up with the Afghan Taliban rising insurgency.

Earlier United States Commander in Afghanistan General John Nicholson has also testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee that reduction in number of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan by the end of 2016 will trigger the Afghanistan insurgency further and the future of Afghanistan is going to be in doldrums if US forces withdraw from Afghanistan at this stage.

United States has raised the Afghanistan National Security Forces ANSF of 350,000 in last 14 years and even today is sustaining such a huge Army with a cost of $ 4 billions per year but the desired results could not be achieved with the ANSF as it is unable to control or even reduce the Afghan Taliban insurgency.

Afghanistan Army desertion rates have soared up to to over 7% in recent months and various cases of Afghanistan Army and Police officials either surrendering or deserting to Afghan Taliban have been witnessed in last 2 years. In many of the cases the deserting or surrendering Afghan Army soldiers have taken along the weapons, arms and ammunitions along with them which has served as a booster to the arsenal of Afghan Taliban.

United States had planned to reduce the present strength of its armed Forces in Afghanistan from 9,800 to 5,500 by 2017 but after the request of field commanders, Afghanistan government and analysing the on ground situation Obama administration is most likely to reverse its earlier decision of Forces reduction in Afghanistan.

Afghan Taliban had captured the northern province of Kunduz from Afghanistan Army and only with the assistance of US ground forces and the Air Power it was able to retake Kunduz from the clutches of Afghan Taliban.

Recently Afghan Taliban had attacked the southern province of Helmand and only with the assistance of Allied Forces ground and Air Power ANSF was able to avoid the fall of Helmand from clutches of Afghan Taliban.

Last but not the least it has been admitted by Allied Forces Commanders and the independent analysts and strategists that Afghan Taliban capture the maximum area of Afghanistan since 2001 fall of Afghan Taliban Government in Kabul as a result of US and Allied Forces Operation Enduring Freedom.

The question of defeat of Afghan Taliban in Afghanistan is nowhere existing rather the strategists are asking the question that whether ANSF would be able to avoid the fall of Kabul in hands of Afghan Taliban without the active assistance of the Allied Forces.

This is the sole reason which has forced the US Commanders and the Obama administration of not reducing the number of allied forces in Afghanistan.

However the talks of increasing the number of Allied Forces in Afghanistan has also started to surface in the policy making circles with each passing day as Afghan Taliban are gaining the strength and power to attack heartland of Afghanistan, Kabul at their will.

 

[A-Team]

WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama approved broader role of US military to assist and accompany Afghan forces to counter Taliban insurgency.

US defence officials claimed that US troops will assist Afghan forces to perform more proactively on the battlefield and US air power will also provide close air support to Afghan troops.

Earlier, US military was providing defensive and offensive training to Afghan forces to take action against Taliban insurgents.

“The US forces will more proactively support Afghan conventional forces,” the official said.

The recent orders came at a time when Afghan Taliban are stepping up their attacks against the Afghanistan government and Afghan Army is finding it difficult to cap the Taliban insurgency.

Recently 13 retired United States Army Generals and Diplomats have written letter to US President Barack Obama indicating that reduction in the US Forces in Afghanistan by the end of the 2016 is going to be fatal for Afghanistan as Afghan Taliban have stepped up their campaign against the Afghanistan government and the Afghan National Security Forces ANSF are unable to coup up with the Afghan Taliban rising insurgency.

Earlier United States Commander in Afghanistan General John Nicholson has also testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee that reduction in number of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan by the end of 2016 will trigger the Afghanistan insurgency further and the future of Afghanistan is going to be in doldrums if US forces withdraw from Afghanistan at this stage.

United States has raised the Afghanistan National Security Forces ANSF of 350,000 in last 14 years and even today is sustaining such a huge Army with a cost of $ 4 billions per year but the desired results could not be achieved with the ANSF as it is unable to control or even reduce the Afghan Taliban insurgency.

Afghanistan Army desertion rates have soared up to to over 7% in recent months and various cases of Afghanistan Army and Police officials either surrendering or deserting to Afghan Taliban have been witnessed in last 2 years. In many of the cases the deserting or surrendering Afghan Army soldiers have taken along the weapons, arms and ammunitions along with them which has served as a booster to the arsenal of Afghan Taliban.

United States had planned to reduce the present strength of its armed Forces in Afghanistan from 9,800 to 5,500 by 2017 but after the request of field commanders, Afghanistan government and analysing the on ground situation Obama administration is most likely to reverse its earlier decision of Forces reduction in Afghanistan.

Afghan Taliban had captured the northern province of Kunduz from Afghanistan Army and only with the assistance of US ground forces and the Air Power it was able to retake Kunduz from the clutches of Afghan Taliban.

Recently Afghan Taliban had attacked the southern province of Helmand and only with the assistance of Allied Forces ground and Air Power ANSF was able to avoid the fall of Helmand from clutches of Afghan Taliban.

Last but not the least it has been admitted by Allied Forces Commanders and the independent analysts and strategists that Afghan Taliban capture the maximum area of Afghanistan since 2001 fall of Afghan Taliban Government in Kabul as a result of US and Allied Forces Operation Enduring Freedom.

The question of defeat of Afghan Taliban in Afghanistan is nowhere existing rather the strategists are asking the question that whether ANSF would be able to avoid the fall of Kabul in hands of Afghan Taliban without the active assistance of the Allied Forces.

This is the sole reason which has forced the US Commanders and the Obama administration of not reducing the number of allied forces in Afghanistan.

However the talks of increasing the number of Allied Forces in Afghanistan has also started to surface in the policy making circles with each passing day as Afghan Taliban are gaining the strength and power to attack heartland of Afghanistan, Kabul at their will.

Wishful thinking to argue that Talis pose a strategic threat to the Afghan stability. They are a foreign backed proxy who will never and I repeat never return to Afghanistan in a governing capacity. Yes they will do hit and run attacks because they run back across the border.

The real peace is needed between Pakistan and Afghanistan and not Talis, once things are sorted out with Pakistan these monkeys will disappear in a matter weeks.

I also have to add that Pakistan betting on the wrong horse here, Afghans, the neighbourhood and international partners including China will never allow Talis and their stone age thinking to return back to Afghanistan and govern Afghanistan and flogging Afghan women.

Pakistan needs a pivot for its polices vis-a-vis Afghanistan because she is not gaining anything by it and isolating herself further. If Pakistan wants its genuine grievances addresses it can only be done via the NUG and its institutions.

 

[!eon]

It's just because the US presence that Afghan govt still sustains. This is the world most corrupt and incapable govt.

 

[A-Team]

It's just because the US presence that Afghan govt still sustains. This is the world most corrupt and incapable govt.

- Corruption problem, YES! Anything being done about it, YES! Ashraf Ghani is not corrupt but as you an appreciate fighting corruption is gonna be a decade long process.

- Any country which is surrounded by neighbours that actively seek to undermine you by supporting industrial scale insurgency, of course needs help from its International partners for a while to sustain its institutions.

How long did the US stay in S.Korea to assist her? You don't need to be a genius to figure this one out.

PS : The US is staying in Afghanistan for as long as its needed and we fully support her with military bases and in return that gives us time to strengthen our institutions

 

[I M Sikander]

Afghan army is a bunch of ill trained and ill motivated personnel from whom being a soldier is like a normal job to earn bread and butter.

Afghan army and afghan gov presence is reduced to only some major cities. Majority of Afghan soil is directly controlled by Taliban's and war lords.

 

[Khan_21]

Afghanistan was recently voted as the most corrupt country in the world . Not too long ago a governor gave away one his districts to Taliban in exchange for God knows what . With Trained american soldiers on ground 30 % of their area is under Taliban rule and a further 20 % is contested . Imagine what will happen once all american soldiers go back?

There is a documentary of how Afghan army was busy in bacha baazi right in the middle of battleground with Taliban

 

[Laozi]

If U.S. decides to spend only Two percent of its total defence expenditure for training Afghan forces and providing military hardware to it for the next Ten years, then in a decade Afghanistan might become a regional power to counter China.

 

[I M Sikander]

They are a foreign backed proxy who will never and I repeat never return to Afghanistan in a governing capacity.

Same for Afghan Army and afghan gov. They are also puppits, backed by foreign forces. Otherwise afghan gov. Can't stay in power even for a single day.

Yes they will do hit and run attacks because they run back across the border.

Come on , stop selling this old chooran. Go and seal the pak afghan boarder. Who is stopping you.

It is actually the TTP leadership who is living in Afghanistan and attacking Pakistani soil.

The real peace is needed between Pakistan and Afghanistan and not Talis, once things are sorted out with Pakistan these monkeys will disappear in a matter weeks.

And american and allied forces have failed to achieve peace and stability in Afghanistan. NATO and American forces have failed miserably in Afghanistan and now they are begging Taliban's for peace and negotiations. What a pitty.

I also have to add that Pakistan betting on the wrong horse here, Afghans, the neighbourhood and international partners including China will never allow Talis and their stone age thinking to return back to Afghanistan and govern Afghanistan and flogging Afghan women.

Hahah. Whether you like it or not but Taliban's still control the majority of Afghan area. Whereas afghan gov authority is not even firm in Kabul without foreign forces.

Pakistan needs a pivot for its polices vis-a-vis Afghanistan because she is not gaining anything by it and isolating herself further. If Pakistan wants its genuine grievances addresses it can only be done via the NUG and its institutions.

You better stopping worrying about Pakistan, we know what we can do in Afghanistan.

 

[!eon]

- Corruption problem, YES! Anything being done about it, YES! Ashraf Ghani is not corrupt but as you an appreciate fighting corruption is gonna be a decade long process.

- Any country which is surrounded by neighbours that actively seek to undermine you by supporting industrial scale insurgency, of course needs help from its International partners for a while to sustain its institutions.

How long did the US stay in S.Korea to assist her? You don't need to be a genius to figure this one out.

Corruption is going nowhere. It will be there even after 10 20 years ,if Afghan govt continues to breath with help of US ventilation. Mark my words and I can't see any action to eradicate corruption, sorry don't tell me, all I can see is sugar coated advertisement.
What you can expect from war and druglords ? justice ? No, please be sincere with yourself.
I don't know Ashraf Ghani personally but I know Karzai personally. Not he only himself looted but all of his family also, and so does each and every minister and governor under him.

Put everything on Pakistan, that's old habit. India, as I told you earlier never accepted Pakistan. Now they are playing with Afghan corrupt officials, paying money and hiring Afghans to do activities inside Pakistan. Now, at this moment and with these action, do not expect good gesture from Pakistan.

None of your govt official asked Iran what was Mansoor doing there for complete one month ?

 

[A-Team]

I don't know Ashraf Ghani personally but I know Karzai personally. Not he only himself looted but all of his family also, and so does each and every minister and governor under him.

None of your govt official asked Iran what was Mansoor doing there for complete one month ?

Can you please elaborate how do you know Karzai personally? That is one tall claim to make.

 

[!eon]

Can you please elaborate how do you know Karzai personally? That is one tall claim to make.

I am a business man and also have bossiness in Afghanistan and through Afghanistan.

 

[A-Team]

I am a business man and also have bossiness in Afghanistan and through Afghanistan.

So you have met and did business with Karzai ? since you said you know him personally. Unless you have a multibillion business with significant investment in Afghanistan doubt that you know him personally. Therefore you other statements should be taken with a grain of salt.

 

[!eon]

So you have met and did business with Karzai ? since you said you know him personally. Unless you have a multibillion business with significant investment in Afghanistan doubt that you know him personally. Therefore you other statements should be taken with a grain of salt.

No, I paid bribes got certain benefits.

 

[OrionHunter]

Pakistan needs a pivot for its polices vis-a-vis Afghanistan because she is not gaining anything by it and isolating herself further. If Pakistan wants its genuine grievances addresses it can only be done via the NUG and its institutions.

The root cause of the Afghanistan imbroglio is Pakistan's grand strategy of trying achieving that so called 'strategic depth' in Afghanistan. The only way they can achieve this is to install a pliable pro-Pak government in Kabul, and that means going all out to support the Talibs militarily and financially which they have been doing for more than a decade and a half. So far, their plans have come a cropper and has resulted in nothing but bloodshed and a growing anti Pak sentiment in Afghanistan.

No insurgency can last without the active support of external powers. The Afghan Taliban and the Haqqanis would have disintegrated long ago but for this external support. Unless there is a paradigm shift in Pakistan's policies toward Afghanistan per se, nothing will change. Seeing Pakistan's dilemma in going after the Talibs (which would go against their stated objectives and would not be easy to do), the future of Afghanistan looks bleak.

 

[BetterPakistan]

- Any country which is surrounded by neighbours that actively seek to undermine you by supporting industrial scale insurgency, of course needs help from its International partners for a while to sustain its institutions.

And what about BLA army chief and Pakistan taliban commander fazllulah who is living under your agencies safe houses? Don't blame others for your incredibility. Afghan forces are nothing more than bunch of useless forces. Even Pakistan face corruption problem and we face terrorism supported by you but still we dismantled taliban and we will keep on dismantling anybody who tried to make Pakistan a fail state.

The fact is afghanistan on its own cannot defeat afghan taliban.